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The Museum of Fine Arts is holding its very first “Boston Loves Impressionism” contest from Jan. 6-29, where the public is invited to vote for their favorite pieces from a collection of fifty paintings pulled from the MFA’s Impressionist collection.

Claude Monet’s famed "Water Lilies" (1905) will be among the MFA's collection of Impressionist paintings included in the contest. (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

“While the Museum’s popular European Impressionism Gallery is closed for renovation, we thought it would be exciting to let the public choose which of their favorite works would remain on view,” Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director at the MFA, wrote in a press release. “This is the first time we’ve ever presented an exhibition selected by the public.”

Each week, participants can “Share the Love” on the MFA’s website or Facebook page by selecting their choices from a different themed group each week. Themes include “On the Water” (seascapes), “From the Land” (landscapes and still lifes), and “Of the People” (portraits) by notable artists including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Vincent Van Gogh, and Gustave Caillebotte. Museum visitors can also vote using their phones by scanning heart-shaped QR codes found throughout the museum. Participants may only vote once a day.

In the final round of voting (Jan. 27-29), participants will vote on the top ten favorites. The three paintings with the most votes will be highlighted at the gallery’s entrance to the exhibit, which will be unveiled during its opening weekend on Feb. 14-16.

Anyone who votes will be able to download a voucher for free admission for two people to the MFA’s opening weekend of the exhibit (good for the voter and one guest). If you’re interested in voting, here’s a schedule of key dates:

Jan. 6-12: Voting for paintings with the theme “On the Water”Jan. 13-19: Voting for paintings with the theme “From the Land”Jan. 20-26: Voting for paintings with the theme “Of the People”Jan 27-29: Final round voting of the top ten paintings selected during previous weeksFeb. 14 –16: Opening weekend for the "Boston Loves Impressionism” exhibit

The top thirty paintings will be featured in the “Boston Loves Impressionism” exhibit (running from Feb. 14-May 26), which will be housed in the MFA’s Lois and Michael Torf Gallery. The public’s top ten favorites will be highlighted by a heart on the wall label.